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Charter Arms Pitbull in .45 Auto

Revolvers chambered in auto loading cartridges is really nothing new, but the vast majority use moon clips to hold the rounds in place since auto loaded cartridges are not rimmed. The Pitbull uses tabs machined into the star ejector to catch the extractor groove. Now the cartridge still headspaces off the case mouth but the tab on the ejector adds a great degree of reliability. I have been looking forward to reviewing the Pit Bull for some time now and the test sample is finished in the new Nitride finish from Charter Arms. The Nitride finish is one of the more durable steel finishes used to protect steel. Side note, I hate moon clips. They are aggravating as hell to load, easily lost, can be broken. If lost or broken, your revolver is now an intimidating paperweight.

The double action trigger broke between 12-14 pounds in a steady pull while the single action trigger broke about 4 pounds with little take up and some over travel. The double action is typical for what I am used to in revolvers but the single action pull is excellent. The cylinder release is well serrated for a positive purchase and worked exactly as it should.

The cylinder is a beefy with five round capacity. Notice the absence of moon clips, which is exactly my favorite part, instead the round still headspaces on the casemouth while a tap on the star extractor utilizes a tap that snaps into the extractor groove that allows for correct placement and easy extraction.

The sights were very nice, especially for a snub nose revolver, and that showed in the twenty five yard groups. There were no issues with snagging on the draw but you have to be mindful of the hammer spur when drawing.

Initial Range Trip

This is my very first time shooting a revolver chambered in .45 Automatic so I began getting used to the revolver at the fifteen yard line. I ran about forty rounds of 230gr ball rounds from Defender Ammunition to see how it would run and get my bearings on the sights. After several cylinders the Pitbull and I began to understand one another. It is a point of aim point of impact aiming type but it is not a handgun I would take to shoot a bullseye match. With that said, I was pleased with the groupings as shown in the chart below.

Twenty five yard, three shot groups, from a rest.

Second Range Trip

Conclusions

The Charter Arms Pit Bull is a pretty slick little revolver that I see serving primarily in a defensive role. The Pitbull is also available in .40 S&W and 9mm Luger as well as in stainless so you have several options. In a snub nose revolver, you are going to lose velocity so I always opt for a big heavy bullet to make up a bit for the velocity loss. Many manufactures have introduced defensive rounds designed for shorter barrels so there are plenty more viable options today than a few years ago. Charter Arms builds a fine revolver that is inexpensive, so if someone on a budget is looking for a good defensive revolver, any of their handguns are worth checking out. The new Nitride finish has held up well over the test and as expected there were no malfunctions throughtout the test. When using the star extractor to unloaded loaded cartridges, you have to be sure the loaded round does not drop below the extractor as it reaches full throw. This is not an issue with the empty cases as they fall out long before the extractor reaches full throw. I realize revolvers have limited capacity and with many of the big bore Charter Arms you will be limited to five shots. That being said, with revolvers you do have some advantages, they tend to be very reliable and are not particular on what ammunition you are running. Some autoloaders are sensitive to limp wristing, where the revolver is more mechanical and less subject to such things. I am not really a fan of off body concealed carry but I know many women who pocket book carry. Many I know will keep their hand in their pocket book while walking along to their car or such. With a revolver if, God forbid, one had to fire through their pocket book to save their life, the revolver would function whereas an autoloader could malfunction. In such a situation, you have gone from a single round from an autoloader, to capacity of a revolver. If you do carry an autoloader in .45 Auto, this Pit Bull would make an excellent back up piece in the same caliber. Recoil was not bad at all and the oversized rubber stocks with finger grooves did an excellent job in helping you keep a solid purchase. All in all, I am very satisfied in this little hand cannon and truthfully have nothing bad to say about it.

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About Hunter Elliott

I spent much of my youth involved with firearms and felt the call early on to the United States Marine Corps, following in my father's and his brother's footsteps. Just after high school I enlisted and felt most at home on the rifle range, where I qualified expert with several firearms and spent some time as a rifle coach to my fellow Marines. After being honorably discharged I continued teaching firearm safety, rifle and pistol marksmanship, and began teaching metallic cartridge reloading. In the late 1990s I became a life member to the National Rifle Association and worked with the Friends of the NRA. Around that time my father and I became involved with IDPA and competed together up until he passed away. I began reviewing firearms for publications in the mid 2000s and have been fortunate to make many friends in the industry. Continuing to improve my firearms skills and knowledge is a never ending journey in which we should all be committed. I am also credited as weapons master on a few independent films.

I own two Charter Arms revolvers – one in a Bulldog in.44 Spl and now this Pitbull in .45 ACP. Both revolvers required action jobs to smooth trigger pull and to lighten them up a bit. Both revolvers are good shooters, not recoil heavy and fit my budget very well. If the Pitbull .45 ACP is going to be used as a defensive or back-up firearm, it should be known that reloading is a bit slow and must be done one-at-at-time, since no after-market vendor yet offers a speed loader.

purchased a .45 ACP pitbull instead of waiting for the .45 colt to be available as I have had revolver cartridges occasionally move slightly backward thus keeping the cylinder from turning. I figured the ACP model would keep the brass in place.

I wanted to get rid of some cheap aluminum cased ammo so I used that in spite of the fact that the literature warns against using said ammo. It was very dirty leaving powder everywhere. I knew I might have to push the casings out as they expanded. After 30 rounds or so the extraction star apparently became pushed back a little thus binding the revolver, also, necessitating I give a slight push on the cylinder before the trigger could be fully pulled.

I cleaned the gun and It was as good as new. I also dry fired about 100 times which seemed to improve functioning. I will not hesitate to carry and depend upon this revolver in the future.

No speed loaders for it yet ,but I saw a fellow who just took a spare 45 magazine and had a full reload plus a couple in a tidy flat package. Still one at a time but a good idea,IMHO. I am planning on picking one up and I’ll use an old kimber mag that was feeding poorly as my ammo carrier. Reload plus a couple as I mentioned.

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